Public law solicitor Maria Thomas took to Twitter as the British government plans to deport more people to Jamaica:
Here we go again. We can all look forward to another round of political vitriol, painting a picture of every person on the #Jamaica50 charter as a violent, dangerous man, who must be deported from [the UK] to keep the nation safe.
You will not hear the backstories of those on the flight who are trafficking victims; whose crimes were committed as a result of being groomed by #CountyLines gangs; and who were threatened and exploited as kids.
The government will avoid mentioning the failures on behalf of the state for those onboard whose criminality can be traced back to failed care arrangements by social services; the undiagnosed, the expelled, and those who grew up in a system stacked against them from the start.
They will spare you the details of the (British) kids who will wake up the morning after the flight, without knowing when they’ll see their dads again; wanting answers their mothers can’t provide.
The government won’t bore you with the nuances, which would remind you that some of the men committed their crimes years ago, and haven’t put a foot wrong since. They will ask you to ignore that many arrived as primary school children; because these men are now “foreign criminals”.
You won’t be reminded that these men have been punished already and served their time in prison and that the reason they are seen as still dangerous and incapable of rehabilitation, seems to be simply that they are black men without British passports.
Thankfully the tireless work of @followMFJ @DetentionAction @Medical_Justice @BellaSankey @BARACUK and many others will provide the counter-narrative we all – including the government – so desperately need to hear. Make sure you listen to those voices #StopThePlane #EndDeportations.